For many years, unlicensed and unregulated mining operations have been rampant in Niger. Now, the government is taking decisive action to stem the flow.
According to reporting from neighboring Nigeria's Premium Times, a recent raid of one unlicensed site resulted in the arrests of 33 suspected illegal miners and the seizure of mining equipment. Locals said that the site "had been active for over a decade."
After their arrests, the miners were expected to be arraigned within 24 hours — a pace ostensibly meant to convey the urgency of the government's crackdown.
Yunusa Nahauni serves as the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Mineral Resources. "We cannot afford to be complacent," he told the Premium Times. "The state government has a clear vision to sanitise the mining sector, and we will continue to expose those hiding under the guise of mining while engaging in illegal activities."
Illegal mining is harmful to Niger's residents, economy, and environment. Since much of the activity is conducted by foreign nationals — particularly from China, per the Associated Press — generally profits are funneled directly to foreign buyers without Niger, more broadly, seeing a cent. In this case, the illegal mining was conducted under the guise of another company, the name of which was used on a false title without their consent.
Additionally, while lithium helps to power the clean economy, its extraction can still be harmful to the environment, as Euronews detailed. While it is ultimately less pollutive than oil and gas extraction, its mining still contaminates water and soil with heavy metals, which in turn filter up through the food chain.
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The unregulated mining sites pose their own threats too. Unstable tunnels and holes frequently collapse and suffocate miners. What's worse, many of the people working these sites are children and they breathe in toxic particles all day, the AP noted in another report.
In order to fight back against illegal mining and its impacts, Niger's government has made its intentions clear — mining regulations are getting stronger, with only legitimate investors allowed to operate.
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